Rotary serial marking of documents



Aug. 23, 1966 o. D JOHNSON ET AL 3,267,844

ROTARY SERIAL MARKING OF DOCUMENTS Filed June 19, 1964 '7 $heets-Sheet 1 //VVE/V7 0R$ OLIV E R D JOHNSON AGENT Aug. 23, 1966 o. D. JOHNSON ETAL 3,267,844

ROTARY SEIAL MARKING OF DOCUMENTS 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 19. 1964 FIG.2

1966 Q o. JOHNSON ETAL 3,267,844

ROTARY SERIAL MARKING OF DOCUMENTS 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 19. 1964 FIG. 3

Aug. 1966 o. D. JOHNSON ET AL 3,267,844

ROTARY SERIAL MARKING OF DOCUMENTS Filed June 19. 1964 7 Sheets-$heet 4 -6? HOT) o. D. JOHNSON ET AL 3,267,844

ROTARY SERIAL MARKING OF DOCUMENTS Aug. 23, 1966 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 19, 19 64 FIG. 5

A g- 3, 1966 o. 0. JOHNSON ET AL 3,267,844

ROTARY SERIAL MARKING OF DOCUMENTS Filed June 19, 1964 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 Aug. 23, 1966 o. o. JOHNSON ETAL 3,267,844

ROTARY SERIAL MARKING OF DOCUMENTS Filed June 19, 1964 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 SEX SCHQOL CITY Hlll/ STUDENT NUMBER lllllll l United States Patent ROTARY SERIAL MARKENG OF DUCUMENT (lliver D. Johnson, Vestal, and Kenneth B. Maynard,

Apalachin, N.Y., assignors to International Business Machines Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Fiied June 19, 1964, Ser. No. 376,350 13 Claims. (Cl. 10176) This invention relates to a method for serial encoding of documents ad more particularly to a rotary device adapted to encode documents with serially positioned marks which are adapted to be optically sensed.

The present invention provides a rotary device for serial encoding with positioned marks in an optical sense matrix. Some applications of the present device are the encoding of machine processable tabulating cards with marks rather than or in addition to punched holes, credit cards, coupons, optical test scoring documents, and the like. A particularly desirable application is the encoding of test scoring documents with nonuniformly spaced optical sense marks indicative of student numbers or employee numbers, which numbers preferably but not necessarily comprise seven digits.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a printing cylinder is employed which may have pockets for receiving any suitable number of manually positioned print bars. Additionally, the cylinder is provided with a number of automatic print bars normally held in a radially retracted position but capable of being extended radially outwardly to a printing position. Each print bar is formed to print a single dash line and thus they are in the form of radially movable bars having their longitudinal axis lying along a radial line of the printing cylinder. Each of the automatic print bars has its r-adial position controlled by a cam member and each cam member may control the radial position of a number of print bars along an axial line on the printing cylinder. An indexing drive means is provided for effecting automatic serial sequence operation of the automatic print bars and the ends of the bars are inked by a conventional inking system. Printing of the optical sense marks is accomplished as the manually positioned print bars and the raised automatic print bars press against the web as it is supported by an impression cylinder.

The present rotary method permits encoding to be done in-line as the forms are being produced at speeds in the range of 1000 forms per minute on high speed rotary printing presses. The forms can be completed on the press as either continuous forms or single sheets. Other methods which have been proposed heretofore have proven unsatisfactory because they require an auxiliary operation at a speed of 100 to 200 forms per minute. For example, one suggested approach was to use an extensively modified IBM 1403 chain printer which is currently on the market. This would entail changing the carriage feed, the type chain, the hammer spacing, the input system, etc., and all forms to be encoded would have to be processed as continuous forms and then separated when single sheets are required. The increased speed and the savings in both material and labor costs made possible by the present novel and improved rotary method is of substantial importance.

Accordingly, a principal object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved rotary method and apparatus for serial encoding documents with positioned marks for optical sensing.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved rotary method and apparatus for selectively printing optical sense marks in serial sequence using automatically selected and retracted print bars.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved method and apparatus for serial encoding which can be operated at the production speeds of modern rotary printing equipment.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved apparatus for serial encoding having the combination of print bars which move into and out of printing position in a reciprocating motion with a rotary system for indexing, inking and printing.

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of a serial encoding apparatus embodying the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an end elevation view of the apparatus of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 33 of FIG. 2 showing the indexing cam arrangement for operating the print bars.

FIG. 4 is an isometric view showing portions of the indexing mechanism for operating the cam arrangement and print bars.

FIG. 5 is a side elevation view of one of the indexing ratchet assemblies used to advance the cam shafts.

FIG. 6 is a side elevation view of the eccentric cam used to operate the ratchet assemblies.

FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 are views showing fragments of test scoring sheets serially encoded by the apparatus of the present invention.

Conventional test for various aptitudes generally involve multiple choice answers to the several questions which are asked. These answers are repersented, respectively, by closely related alphabetically identified spaces such as the spaces 10 in FIG. 7. The test subject will decide on an answer and it will thereupon mark the corresponding space on the test sheet 11 with a pencil or other writing implement with a stroke sufficiently dark and bold to permit the scoring machine to recognize the marks. Marks of the nature referred to are indicated in FIG. 7 by the reference numeral 12. One margin of the test sheet is ordinarily provided with a timing track I13 composed of a plurality of short equally spaced parallel lines 14.

When a test is scored, the marked test sheet is placed in a scoring machine which is adapted to scan and record the several answers 12 under control of the timing marks 14. Grading of the answers is recorded by the machine along the margin adjacent to the timing track 13 and in addition suitable connections may be made with a perforating machine whereby the answer and grade information for each sheet may be converted into punch ings on a related rcord card. In order to identify each punched record card with its related test sheet and student, each test sheet is provided with a student number area 15 having a plurality of closely related numerically identified spaces, such as the spaces 16 in FIG. 7. The student writes his number in the vertical arranged blocks 17 and also marks it in code in the appropriate spaces 16, as indicated by the marks 18. The marks 18 would then be converted into code punchings on the related record card. It has been found that in many cases it is more desirable and practical to automatically serially encode the sheets with the student numbers when the sheets are being printed up on the press.

The rotary marking device herein by which the scoring sheets are automatically serially encoded in either ascending or descending order comprises, as shown in FIG. 1, a numbering cylinder 19 provided with two marking heads 20 and 21, an impression cylinder 22 and a pair of conventional inking rollers 23 and 24. The numbering cylinder,

which is suitably driven from-a rotary printing press, rotates with a surface speed equal to the speed of the web 25 to be marked and in the illustrated embodiment the circumference of the cylinder is equal to the length of two successive forms to be printed. Associated with each marking head is a serial indexing drive mechanism, as indicated at 26 and 27. The numbering cylinder is supported by a shaft 28 and is movable along the shaft and rotatable relative to the web for registration purposes.

The marking heads 20 and 21 are identical in structure and are disposed 180 degrees apart. Referring to FIG. 3, each marking 'head comprises a plurality of automatic print bars 29 and a plurality of manually positioned print bars 30 which are arranged to correspond with the arrangement of the numerically identified marking spaces 16 in the student number area of the scoring sheet to be marked. In the particular sheet illustrated, the number area 15 is designed for a ten digit number and, accordingly, there are 100 marking spaces 16 arranged in ten horizontal rows of ten spaces each. The ten spaces in each row are identified with the digits 0-9 and the seven rows correspond to the units, tens, hundreds, millions positions of the number. In the preferred arrangement, there are two groups of fifty of the print bars 29, one group at each of the marking heads 20 and 21; and in addition each head may carry none, one or two of the print bars 30. When coding seven digit numbers, as illustrated at 17, the two groups of fifty print bars 29 are associated with the units through ten thousands positions of the numbers and are automatically operated by the indexing drive mechanisms 26 and 27. The print bars 30 are associated with the hundred thousands and millions positions of the numbers and are manually positioned since numbers this high are not frequently indexed. It will be understood that other arrangements of the print bars may be used depending upon the format of the number area 15.

A pair of wedge-shaped groves 31 are provided at each marking head which extends across the numbering cylinder 19. The manually positionable print bars 30 may be inserted into the ends of the grooves and moved to a desired position along the groove corresponding to the marking spaces 16 to be marked. Suitable indentations are provided along each groove so that the print bar may be seated and locked in the desired position.

The automatic print bars 29 are T-shaped and each group of fifty bars is slideably mounted in openings 32 in a matrix 33 of rubber or other suitable resilient material, as shown in FIG. 3. The bars are normally retained in a retracted or non-print position. For operating the print bars 29, there is provided at each marking head a group of fifty slideably mounted push rods 34, there being one rod in vertical alignment with each print bar 29. To operate the push rods, there is provided at each marking head five rotatably mounted cam shafts -39, there being one cam shaft in vertical alignment with each row of ten push rods 34 extending across the cylinder, said cam shafts 35-39 at each head corresponding respectively to the units through ten thousands positions of the number to be printed. Disposed 36 degrees apart in spiral fashion along each cam shaft 35-39 are ten camming blocks 40 which correspond to the 0-9 digit positions in each row. Each block 40 is in vertical alignment with an associated push rod 34 and is adapted when rotated into position to coact against the end of its related push rod to cam it outwardly toward the periphery of the cylinder. When this action takes place, the related print bar 29 is cammed outward to its print position. Since the camming blocks 40 are arranged in spiral fashion along their respective cam shafts, it can be seen that indexing of the shafts will result in the print bars 29 at each head being operated in serial sequence, however, a print bar will only print a mark when it is in vertical radial alignment with the impression cylinder 22. The actuated print bars and push rods are restored back to their non-print position by the matrix of resilient material 33 as the cam blocks 40 clear the ends of the push rods.

The automatic print bars 29 need have only sufficient length of motion to move into and out of printing position; i.e., approximately .015 to .020 inch. The number of automatic positions to be provided can be varied in the actual mechanism and in some applications all positions may be automatic.

The indexing mechanisms for advancing the cam shafts are shown in FIGS. 4, 5, and 6. Referring to FIG. 4, there is shown the cam shafts 35-39 of marking head 20 with the appropriate driving connects between the shafts. The cam shafts are suitably journaled for rotation in the side plate 41 of the numbering cylinder 19 and an auxiliary spacer plate 41a attached to side plate 41. It will be understood that the same mechanism shown in FIG. 4 is also provided at the marking head 21 with the cam shafts arranged in reverse order, as indicated in FIGS. 1 and 3.

The input drives to the cam shaft assemblies are taken from a pair of indexing ratchet assemblies, such as the one indicated as 42 in FIG. 5, there being a ratchet assembly 42 provided at each marking head and suitably fastened to the side plate 41 of the numbering cylinder. Each ratchet assembly 42 comprises a support plate 43 having a stud 44 on which is rotatably mounted a sleeve 45 connecting a lO-tooth ratchet wheel 46 with a corresponding lO-tooth gear wheel 47. Also, there is pivotally mounted on the stud 44 a plate member 48 on which an advance pawl 49 is pivotally mounted. Spring means 50 is provided to normally bias the advance pawl into engagement with the ratchet wheel. Pivotally mounted on the support plate 43 is a detent pawl 51 which is normally biased into engagement with the ratchet wheel by spring means 52 to detent the wheel after each advancement thereof.

To index the ratchet wheel and gear wheel assembly through the advance pawl 49, the pivotal plate 48 has fastened thereto a follower arm 53, the free end of which rides in an eccentric groove 54 cut in the face of a split cam 55, shown in FIG. 6. The split cam 55 is positioned adjacent the plates 41 and 41a of the numbering cylinder and it is rigidly clamped to a fixed shaft 56 so that, as the numbering cylinder 19 rotates, the ends of the two follower arms 53 extending from the two ratchet assemblies 42 will ride around the eccentric groove 54. For every revolution of the numbering cylinder, the pivotal plate 48 of each ratchet assembly will oscillate, as indicated by the arrow on FIG. 5, such that the advance pawl 49 will advance the ratchet wheel 46 and gear 47 counterclockwise one tooth, after which it will back off into position behind the next tooth of the ratchet to be advanced. Ten revolutions of the numbering cylinder then will cause the ratchet wheel and gear of each ratchet assembly to index ten times and make one revolution.

Referring to FIG. 4, there is shown the driving connections between the cam shafts 35-39 located at marking head 20. The 10-tooth gear 47 on the associated ratchet assembly meshes with and drives a 10-tooth gear 57 fastened on the units cam shaft 35. Also fastened on the units shaft are a 2-tooth driving gear 58 and a Geneva hub 59. The gear 58 is used to drive a lO-tooth gear 60 fastened on the tens shaft 36. The cam shaft 35 at the marking head 20 is used to effect printing of the odd numbers 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 in the units position and the cam shaft 35 at the marking head 21 is used to effect printing of the even numbers 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 in the units position.

F-astened on the tens shaft 36 is a Geneva hub 61 and a ten division Geneva movement cam 62. The Geneva hub 59 on the units shaft meshes with the recessed surfaces 63 of Geneva cam. 62 on the tens shaft and serves to hold the tens shaft from floating or moving except when the tens shaft is to be advanced by the driving gear 58 on the units shaft. The two notches 64 in the Geneva hub 59 are timed with the two teeth 65 on the driving gear 58 such that, when either of the teeth 65 is in position to advance the ten tooth gear 60 fastened on the tens shaft, one of the notches 64 on hub 59 will be in position to free the Geneva cam 62 for movement of one-tenth of a revolution, after which hub 59 will seat into the next recessed surface 6 3 to lock the tens shaft 36 into its indexed position until it is again advanced by driving gear 58.

The tens shaft 36 has fastened thereon a one tooth driving gear 66 which drives a ten tooth gear 67 fastened on the hundreds shaft 37. The hundreds shaft also has fastened thereon a Geneva hub 68 and a ten division Geneva movement cam 69. The notch 70 in Geneva hub 61 is timedwith the single tooth 71 on driving gear 66 and the hub 61 coacts with the Geneva cam 69 to prevent movement of the hundreds shaft except when it is to be advanced by the driving gear 66.

The thousands shaft 38 and ten thousands shaft 39 are advanced in the same fashion. A one tooth driving gear 72 fastened on the hundreds shaft drives a ten tooth gear 73 fastened 0n the thousands shaft, and a one tooth driving gear 74 fastened on the thousands shaft drives a ten tooth gear 7-5 fastened on the ten thousands shaft 39. The thousands shaft 38 carries a ten division Geneva movement cam 76 which coacts with the Geneva hub 68 on the hundreds shaft and it also carries a one notch Geneva hub 77 which coats with a ten division Geneva movement cam 78 fastened on the ten thousands shaft 39; and, accordingly, these two shafts are prevented from floating.

Indexing of the automatic print bars 2 9 takes place during the period of rotation between printing position and inking position, indicated as index time on FIG. 1. The non-automatic print bars 30 and the raised automatic print bars 29 are inked as they pass by the conventional inking rollers 23 and 24. Printing of the optical sense marks 18 is accomplished as the non-automatic print bars and the raised automatic print bars press against the web 25 as it is supported by the impression cylinder 22.

Fastened on the end of each of the cam shafts 35-39 is a numeral indicating knob 79 so that the cam shafts can be manually set at a predetermined starting number. The cam shafts are slideably mounted in the side plates 41 and 41a for movement along their longitudinal axes but they are normally prevented from such movement by a pair of locking bars 80, there being one looking bar 80 positioned at each marking head and slideably mounted on the spacer plate 41a. Each of the cam shafts 3-5439 is provided with a pair of juxtaposed circular grooves 81 and 82 which are adapted to receive tab-like projections 83 on the locking bars 80. When all of the cam shafts 35-39 are connected for indexing, they are positioned axially so that the projections 83 on the locking bars extend into the groove 81 on each shaft. When it is desired to disable or disconnect one or more of the cam shafts from the indexing drive, the locking bar 80 is moved sufficiently in a horizontal direction to free the cam shafts for axial movement. The particular shafts to be disabled are pulled outwardly from the cylinder to disconnect their driving connections, after which the locking bar is moved back into locking position so that the projections 83 thereon will extend into the grooves 82 of the disabled shafts and into the grooves 81 of the active shafts.

In printing presses of the type on which the present encoding device is used, it is desirable to take some initial runs to adjust the press and set the quality of print before actual counting and printing of forms is commenced. For this reason, the split indexing cam 55, shown in FIG. 6, may be pivotally adjusted on the fixed shaft 56. In the position shown, the center of the cam is positioned at the reference point indicated at 84 and the eccentric groove 54 is effective to operate the indexing ratchet assembly 42. By adjusting the cam slightly counterclockwise on shaft 56 to move the center of the cam to the reference point indicated at 85, the eccentricity is removed and the groove 54 will not operate the ratchet assembly. Accordingly, the encoding device may be disabled during initial runs of the press after which cam is adjusted back to its normal position to operate the indexing mechanism.

The above-described structure prov-ides a quick setup means for carrying out repetitive pre-m-arking. Through the indicating knobs 79, the cam shafts may be rotatively adjusted in position to represent a predetermined number and, by adjusting cam 55 to remove the eccentricity, the predetermined number may be repetitively marked. Also, by manually adjusting the cam shafts rotatively into predetermined positions, a desired starting number may be set up for a sequence to be indexed.

As was previously mentioned, the encoding may be carried out either in ascending or descending sequence. The ratchet assembly 42, illustrated in FIG. 5, is designed to operate the cam shafts for encoding in descending sequence; however, it will be understood that, by substituting similar ratchet assemblies having a drive in the reverse direction, the cam shafts will be operated for encoding in an ascending sequence. In the illustrative examples shown in FIGS. 7, 8 and 9, the forms 11, 11a and 11b have been successively coded in descending sequence with the student numbers 148811, 148810 and 148809. In this particular example, it was desired to code 100,000 test sheets with the numbers 100,000 through 199,999 in which case the cam shafts for the automatic print bars 29 for the units through ten thousands orders wculd be manually pre-set through the knobs 79 to print 9's. A manually positioned print bar 30 would be positioned at each marking head to print a 1 in the hundred thousands order and the device is ready for indexing when the press is started. As is generally the case, the rotary printing press is provided with a conventional sheet counter which, for the present example, would be pre-set at 100,000. When the last sheet to be coded is marked with the student number 100,000, the sheet counter will stand at 000,000 and the printing press will be automatically stopped in a conventional manner.

The present device has been illustrated as including sufficient structure to mark coded number-s having up to seven digits. However, it will be understood that such a device may include a greater number of automatic print bars and/ or manually positioned print bars to take care of numbers having more than seven digits.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A rotary marking apparatus for serially number coding documents comprising, in combination:

a rotatable numbering cylinder;

a rotatable impression cylinder in close proximity to said numbering cylinder for supporting document forms fed between said cylinders;

a plurality of rows of automatic print bars disposed around the periphery of said numbering cylinder, each said row having a plurality of said automatic print bars extending transversely across said cylinder:

said automatic print bars being normally held in a radially retracted position and capable of being extended radially outward to a printing position;

slideable members mounted in alignment with said print bars;

rotatable actuating means associated with each said row and disposed axially of the cylinder, said actuating means being operable to sequentially reciprocate said members and the print bars in the related row radially to and from said printing position;

and rotatable indexing means effective during rotation of said numbering cylinder for operating said actuating means whereby said auotmatic print bars will serially number code successive documents presented between those print bars which are in the extended position and said impression cylinder.

2. A rotary marking apparatus for serially number coding documents comprising, in combination:

a rotatable numbering cylinder;

a rotatable impression cylinder in close proximity to said numbering cylinder for supporting document forms fed between said cylinders;

a plurality of rows of automatic print bars disposed around the periphery of said numbering cylinder, said rows representing the particular orders of the number to be coded and each said row having .a plurality of said automatic print bars extending transversely across said cylinder to represent the digits -9;

yieldable means normally biasing said automatic print bars in a radially retracted position, said bars being capable of being extended radially outward to a printing position;

slideable members mounted in alignment with said print bars;

rotatable actuating means associated with each said row and disposed axially of the cylinder, said actuating means being operable to effect sequentially the reciprocation of said members and the 0-9 print bars in the related row radially to and from said printing position;

rotatable indexing means effective during rotation of said numbering cylinder for indexing said actuating means to effect the sequential operation of the 0-9 print bars for all orders;

, and inking means in close proximity to said numbering cylinder for inking the print bars when they are radially extended to the printing position, whereby code marks will be printed on successive documents presented between those print 'bars which are radially extended and said impression cylinder.

3. A rotary marking apparatus as defined in claim 2 and including:

a plurality of rows of pockets representing additional orders of the number to be coded, the pockets in each said row extending transversely across said cylinder. to represent the digits O-9;

each-said pocket being adapted to retain in printing position a manually positionable print bar whereby a selected digit in one or more of said rows may be repetitively coded in the additional orders of the number to be coded on said documents.

4. A rotary marking apparatus for serially number coding documents comprising, in combination:

a rotatable numbering cylinder; a rotatable impression cylinder in close proximity to said numbering cylinder for supporting document forms fed between said cylinders;

a plurality of rows of automatic print bars disposed around the periphery of said numbering cylinder, said rows representing the particular orders of the number to be coded and each said row having a plurality of said automatic print bars extending transversely across said cylinder to represent the digits O-9;

yieldable means normally biasing said automatic print bars in a radially retracted position, said bars being capable of being extended radially outward to a printing position;

slidable members mounted in alignment with said print bars;

a rotatable cam shaft associated with each said row and disposed axially of the cylinder, said cam shafts having camming elements positioned thereon for effect- 1 ing sequentially the reciprocation of said members and the 0-9 print bars in the related row radially to and from said printing position;

transferdriving connection between said cam shafts;

indexing ratchet driving means effective during rotaand inking means in close proximity to said numbering cylinder for inking the print bars when they are radially extended to the printing position, whereby code marks will be printed on successive documents presented between those print bars which are radially extended and said impression cylinder.

5. A rotary marking apparatus as defined in claim 4 and including means for adjusting said cam shafts along their longitudinal axes whereby selected cam shafts may be disconnected from the indexing driving means.

6. A rotary marking apparatus as defined in claim 4 and including:

means for manually adjusting said cam shaft rotatively into predetermined positions corresponding to a desired starting number of a sequence to be indexed.

7. A rotary marking apparatus for serially number coding documents being fed in a rotary printing press which comprises:

a rotatable numbering cylinder;

a rotatable impression cylinder in close proximity to said numbering cylinder for supporting document forms fed between said cylinders;

a plurality of rows of automatic print bars disposed around the periphery of said numbering cylinder, said rows representing the particular orders of the number to be coded and each said row having a plurality of said automatic print bars extending transversely across said cylinder to represent the digits 0-9;

yieldable means normally biasing said automatic print bars in a radially retracted position, said bars being capable of being extended radially outward to a printing position;

slideable members mounted in alignment with said print bars;

a rotatable cam shaft disposed axially of said number cylinder and associated with each said row, said shafts having camming elements positioned thereon for effecting sequentially the reciprocation of said members and the 0-9 print bars in the related row radially to and from said printing position;

transfer driving connections between said cam shafts;

a stationary eccentric cam;

indexing ratchet driving means operated by said cam during rotation of said numbering cylinder for indexing the cam shaft related to the units order of the number to 'be coded whereby the sequential operation of the 0-9 print bars for all orders is effected;

and inking means in close proximity to said numbering cylinder for inking the print bars when they are radially extended to the rinting position, whereby code marks will be printed on successive documents presented between those print bars which are radially extended and said impression cylinder.

8. A rotary marking apparatus as defined in claim 7 and including:

means for rotatively adjusting said cam shafts into predetermined positions corresponding to a predetermined number;

and means for adjusting said cam whereby the eccentricity thereof is rendered ineffective to operate said indexing ratchet driving means, thus enabling said predetermined number to be repetitively coded on successive documents.

9. A rotary marking apparatus for serially number coding documents being fed in a rotary printing press which comprises:

a rotatable numbering cylinder;

a rotatable impression cylinder in close proximity to said numbering cylinder for supporting document forms fed between said cylinders;

a pair of marking heads oppositely disposed on said numbering cylinder, the circumference of said numbering cylinder being equal to the length of two successive forms to be marked;

a plurality of rows of automatic print bars disposed around the periphery of said numbering cylinder at each said marking head, each said row having a plurality of said automatic print bars extending transversely across said cylinder;

said automatic print bars being normally held in a radially retracted position and capable of being extended radially outward to a printing position;

sligeable members mounted in alignment with said print .ars;

rotatable actuating means at said marking heads associated with each said row disposed axially of the cylinder, said actuating means being operable to sequentially reciprocate said members and the print bars in the related row radially to and from said printing position;

and rotatable indexing means at each said marking head effective during rotation of said numbering cylinder for operating said actuating means whereby said automatic print bars will serially number code successive documents presented between those print bars which are in the extended position and said impression cylinder.

10. A rotary marking apparatus for serially number coding documents comprising, in combination:

a rotatable numbering cylinder;

a rotatable impression cylinder in close proximity [to said numbering cylinder for supporting document forms fed between said cylinders;

a pair of marking heads oppositely disposed on said numbering cylinder, the circumference of said numbering cylinder being equal to the length of two successive forms to be marked;

a plurality of rows of automatic print bars disposed around the periphery of said numbering cylinder at each said marking head, the rows at each marking head representing the particular orders of the number to be coded and each said row having a plurality of said automatic print bars extending transversely across said cylinder to represent the digits -9;

yieldable means normally biasing said automatic print bars in a radially retracted position, said bars being capable of being extended radially outward to a printing position;

slidable members mounted in alignment with said print bars;

rotatable actuating means at said marking heads associated with each said row and disposed axially of the cylinder, said actuating means being operable to effect sequentially the reciprocation of said members and the 0-9 print bars in the related row radially to and from said printing position;

rotatable indexing means at each said marking head effective during rotation of said numbering cylinder for indexing said actuating means to effect the sequential operation of the 0-9 print bars for all orders;

and inking means in close proximity to said numbering cylinder for inking the print bars when they are radially extended to the printing position, whereby code marks will be printed and successive documents presented between those print bars which are radially extended and said impression cylinder.

11. A rotary marking apparatus as defined in claim 10 and including:

means associated with the indexing means for the units order of said print bars at each marking head whereby said marking heads will code mark respectively the odd and even digits in the units position on successive documents.

12. A rotary marking apparatus for serially number coding documents being fed in a rotary printing press which comprises:

a rotatable numbering cylinder;

a rotatable impression cylinder in close proximity to said numbering cylinder for supporting document forms fed between said cylinders;

21 pair of marking heads oppositely disposed on said numbering cylinder, the circumference of said numbering cylinder being equal to the length of two successive forms to be marked;

a plurality of rows of automatic print bars disposed around the periphery of said numbering cylinder at each said rnar'kin-g head, the rows at each marking head representing the particular orders of the number to be coded and each said row having a plurality of said automatic print bars extending transversely across said cylinder to represent the digits 0-9;

yieldable means normally biasing said automatic print bars in a radially retracted position, said bars being capable of being extended radially outward to a printing position;

push rods slideably mounted in alignment with said print bars;

a rotatable cam shaft disposed axially of said number ing cylinder andassociated with each said row, said shafts having camming elements positioned thereon for operating said push rods to effect sequentially the reciprocation of the 09 print bars in the related row radially to and from said printing position;

transfer driving connections between said cam shafits;

a stationary eccentric cam;

indexing ratchet driving means at each said marking head operated by said cam during rotation of said numbering cylinder for indexing the cam shafts related to the units order of the number to becoded, whereby the sequential operation of the 09 print bars for all orders is eifected;

and inking means in close proximity to said numbering cylinder for inking the print bars when they are radially extended to the printing position, whereby code marks will be printed on successive documents presented between those print bars which are radially extended and said impression cylinder.

13. A rotary marking apparatus as defined in claim 12 and including:

a plurality of rows of wedge-shaped pockets at each said marking head representing additional orders of the number to be coded, the pockets in each said row extending transversely across said cylinder to represent the digits 0-9;

each said pocket being adapted to slideably receive and retain in printing position a manually positionable print bar, whereby a selected digit in one or more of said rows may be repetitively coded in the additional orders of the number to be coded on said documents.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,643,349 9/ 1927 Sanders. 1,645,209 10/ 1927 Von Pein. 1,857,918 5/1932 Kohler 101-91 2,012,670 7/1935 Mack 10191 3,077,832 2/1963 Ritzerfeld et al. 101-91 X OTHER REFERENCES Force 1000 SFM-Universal Rotary Numbering Head Component System, Wm. A. Force & Co., Brookyln 8, NY. 1964.

ROBERT E. PULFREY, Primary Examiner.

WILLIAM F. MCCARTHY, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A ROTARY MARKING APPARATUS FOR SERIALLY NUMBER CODING DOCUMENTS COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: A ROTATABLE NUMBERING CYLINDER; A ROTATABLE IMPRESSION CYLINDER IN CLOSED PROXIMITY TO SAID NUMBERING CYLINDER FOR SUPPORTING DOCUMENT FORMS FED BETWEEN SAID CYLINDERS; A PLURALITY OF ROWS OF AUTOMATIC PRINT BARS DISPOSED AROUND THE PERIPHERY OF SAID NUMBERING CYLINDER, EACH SAID ROW HAVING A PLURALITY OF SAID AUTOMATIC PRINT BARS EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY ACROSS SAID CYLINDER; SAID AUTOMATIC PRINT BARS BEING NORMALLY HELD IN A RADIALLY RETRACTED POSITION AND CAPABLE OF BEING EXTENDED RADIALLY OUTWARD TO A PRINTING POSITION; SLIDEABLE MEMBERS MOUNTED IN ALIGNMENT WITH SAID PRINT BARS; ROTATABLE ACTUATING MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH EACH SAID ROW AND DISPOSED AXIALLY OF THE CYLINDER, SAID ACTUATING MEANS BEING OPERABLE TO SEQUENTIALLY RECIPROCATE SAID MEMBERS AND THE PRINT BARS IN THE RELATED ROW RADIALLY TO AND FROM SAID PRINTING POSITION; AND ROTATABLE INDEXING MEANS EFFECTIVE DURING ROTATION OF SAID NUMBERING CYLINDER FOR OPERATING SAID ACTUATING MEANS WHEREBY SAID AUTOMATIC PRINT BARS WILL SERIALLY NUMBER CODE SUCCESSIVE DOCUMENTS PRESENTED BETWEEN THOSE PRINT BARS WHICH ARE IN THE EXTENDED POSITION AND SAID IMPRESSION CYLINDER. 